{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,24]],"date-time":"2026-10-24T00:00:05Z","timestamp":1792800005358,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,12]],"date-time":"2023-01-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1673481600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Foundation of Anhui Medical University","award":["2020xkj209"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2020xkj209"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03xb04968","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province","award":["IMMDL202006"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IMMDL202006"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Mol Pain"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Objective: Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA), is the most common joint disease worldwide. The pathogenesis of KOA is complex and electroacupuncture (EA) is an effective therapy for KOA, but the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we aim to investigate the potential therapeutic effect of EA on the rat model of KOA induced by monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) and its relationship with NLRP3 inflammasome by immunohistochemistry and western blot. Methods: KOA was induced by intra-articular injection of MIA (3\u00a0mg\/50\u00a0\u03bcL) into the right knee joint of rats. Forty-five male rats weighing 250\u2013300\u00a0g were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group, KOA group, and KOA + electroacupuncture group (KOA+EA). EA treatment lasted for 2\u00a0weeks (6 times a week). Paw withdrawal threshold tests were used to assess mechanical allodynia once a week. Safranin O\/Fast Green and hematoxylin and eosin (H&amp;E) staining were used to assess the damage to cartilage, synovium, and subpatellar fat pad (IFP). Immunohistochemistry was used to observe NLRP3 inflammasome-associated protein-positive cells in the same field of view and western blot was used to detect the expression of the associated protein in cartilage tissue. Results: The KOA group showed mechanical hyperalgesia, joint inflammation, and significant cartilage tissue destruction. Safranin O\/Fast Green and H&amp;E staining revealed that EA alleviated the joint pathological changes caused by KOA and had a protective effect on cartilage, synovium, and IFP destruction. Mechanical allodynia pain and joint swelling were reduced in KOA rats after EA treatment. Immunohistochemistry and western blot showed significant inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome-associated protein. Conclusion: The results indicate that EA can inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome and reduce pyroptosis, which results in the protection of cartilage tissue and the treatment of KOA. It provides reliable evidence for the development of EA in the treatment of KOA and the clinical application of acupuncture.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/17448069221147792","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,12]],"date-time":"2022-12-12T23:34:40Z","timestamp":1670888080000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":31,"title":["Electroacupuncture ameliorates knee osteoarthritis in rats via inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome and reducing pyroptosis"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Wei","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Basic Medical Sciences Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lelei","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shuo","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bin","family":"Wen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Juan","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6000-0358","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jun","family":"Chang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Basic Medical Sciences Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China"},{"name":"The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China"},{"name":"Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-17448069221147792","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMcp1903768"},{"key":"bibr2-17448069221147792","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12891-019-2895-3"},{"key":"bibr3-17448069221147792","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/art.39465"},{"key":"bibr4-17448069221147792","unstructured":"Zhao Y, Zhu ZAO, Chang J, Wang G, Zheng S, Kwoh CK, Lynch J, Hunter DJ, Ding C. Predictive value of the morphology of proximal tibiofibular joint for total knee replacement in patients with knee osteoarthritis."},{"key":"bibr5-17448069221147792","unstructured":"Bierma-Zeinstra SM, van Middelkoop M. Osteoarthritis: in search of phenotypes."},{"key":"bibr6-17448069221147792","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/s0140-6736(19)30417-9"},{"key":"bibr7-17448069221147792","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/bor.0000000000000373"},{"key":"bibr8-17448069221147792","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.arr.2021.101413"},{"key":"bibr9-17448069221147792","unstructured":"Atukorala I, Kwoh CK, Guermazi A, Roemer FW, Boudreau RM, Hannon MJ, Hunter DJ. Synovitis in knee osteoarthritis: a precursor of disease?"},{"key":"bibr10-17448069221147792","unstructured":"Scanzello CR. Role of low-grade inflammation in osteoarthritis."},{"key":"bibr11-17448069221147792","unstructured":"Zhang H, Cai D, Bai X. Macrophages regulate the progression of osteoarthritis."},{"key":"bibr12-17448069221147792","unstructured":"Arango Duque G, Descoteaux A. Macrophage cytokines: involvement in immunity and infectious diseases."},{"key":"bibr13-17448069221147792","unstructured":"Feldmann M, Brennan Fm Fau-Maini RN, Maini RN. Role of cytokines in rheumatoid arthritis."},{"key":"bibr14-17448069221147792","unstructured":"Zhao LR, Xing RL, Wang PM, Zhang NS, Yin SJ, Li XC, Zhang L. NLRP1 and NLRP3 inflammasomes mediate LPS\/ATP-induced pyroptosis in knee osteoarthritis."},{"key":"bibr15-17448069221147792","unstructured":"Aglietti RA, Estevez A, Gupta A, Ramirez MG, Liu PS, Kayagaki N, Ciferri C, Dixit VM, Dueber EC. GsdmD p30 elicited by caspase-11 during pyroptosis forms pores in membranes."},{"key":"bibr16-17448069221147792","unstructured":"Broz PAO, Pelegr\u00edn PAO, Shao FAO. 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Monocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and type 2 diabetes mellitus display an increased production of interleukin (IL)-1\u03b2 via the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat containing family pyrin 3(NLRP3)-inflammasome activation: a possible implication for therapeutic decision in these patients."},{"key":"bibr46-17448069221147792","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2018\/8296824"},{"key":"bibr47-17448069221147792","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2020\/8853720"},{"key":"bibr48-17448069221147792","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/rheumatology\/key305"},{"key":"bibr49-17448069221147792","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3892\/mmr.2017.7366"}],"container-title":["Molecular Pain"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/17448069221147792","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/17448069221147792","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/17448069221147792","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,2]],"date-time":"2026-05-02T08:19:23Z","timestamp":1777709963000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/17448069221147792"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,12]]},"references-count":49,"alternative-id":["10.1177\/17448069221147792"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/17448069221147792","relation":{},"ISSN":["1744-8069","1744-8069"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1744-8069","type":"print"},{"value":"1744-8069","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,12]]},"article-number":"17448069221147792"}}